LadyStanley
Registered User
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2013/10/25/harvard-hockey-nhl/
tl ; dr
NCAA bias disappearing from NHL. Staying 3+ years in college gives kids educational basis for their post playing careers with a degree (or close to it).
In 2013-14, 200 drafted players will compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
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When Herb Brooks coached 20 American college students to the Miracle on Ice, college hockey was still considered a fringe path to the NHL. All 42 prospects picked in the first two rounds of the 1980 Entry Draft opted to forego their NCAA eligibility to play in the Canadian major junior leagues.
Times have changed. The rapid growth of youth hockey across the United States has elevated the quality of the NCAA’s go-to talent pool of American-born players. College hockey alums populate the front offices of NHL franchises. The recent MVP-level success of college players like Martin St. Louis, Jonathan Toews, Tim Thomas, and Jonathan Quick hasn’t hurt either.
...
Others [teams] seemed to blanch at drafting a Harvard kid. While a bias against NCAA hockey has generally disappeared from the NHL, a number of scouts still seem to favor less academically-inclined options.
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“In most cases we’ve found, especially recently, players have been staying [in college] three years at a minimum, and that gives them a great shot at finishing their degree in the summer or even online in some cases,†Ewell said.
tl ; dr
NCAA bias disappearing from NHL. Staying 3+ years in college gives kids educational basis for their post playing careers with a degree (or close to it).
